Returning to Las Vegas
by pesi
Summary: Grissom comes back form sabbatical to find everyone at war and because of it the one thing he came back for is missing
1. Chapter 1

Returning to Las Vegas 

A/N set after Leaving Las Vegas but using my creative licence.

**Summery: Grissom comes back form sabbatical to find everyone at war and because of it the one thing he came back for is missing.**

Sara Sidle was a ghost; she certainly looked it pale skinned drifting around as if nothing was real. She'd been like that for four weeks now, for trained observers no one had noticed she'd gradually faded into the shadow she was now since Gil Grissom left. Everyone was to busy arguing to care about Sara. Hodges had noticed, that was how bad it had got. Usually entertained by the arguments currently ripping through the night shift he was fed up of them. He had noticed Sara spending more time alone usually in the lab avoiding everyone, she couldn't do that now she had been assigned a DB with Cath and Nick the two people causing the most friction.

There was one other thing that had faded into the background a package for Grissom that was gathering dust in his office. Sara had noticed it when she checked on his cockroaches but it was nothing special just a box, she didn't look long enough to recognise the stamp, the signature that was the miniature killer. If she had she would have opened it but it had faded just like Sara it was slowly disappearing amongst all the other items.

It was one of those days when you wished you hadn't got up. Normally processing a scene this big would be a task but add the fact Nick and Catherine were at war and it made you wish you were still in bed. They had been processing the house so long the sun had come up. Sara was currently outside avoiding the tension inside, she'd already played referee in the car when Nick and Cath started arguing she didn't plan on doing it again. The sun was warming the already hot air making crawling along under the decking searching for a bullet a hard task.

"Find anything?" asked Catherine sharply coming outside

"Does it look like it?" asked Sara shuffling out from under the decking hot and miserable.

"Well bullets don't just disappear"

"Maybe it disintegrated, maybe they took it?" suggested Sara brushing herself down

"Maybe someone took it for their own crime scene" said Nick coming outside

'Great round two' thought Sara picking her kit up forcefully

"I'm going to get a drink from the coffee shop down the road, want anything?" asked Sara wanting to get away before they started shouting again. She didn't get a reply so she grabbed her kit and walked off round the front and almost straight into Sofia "I wouldn't bother round twos about to start" said Sara as Sofia looked slightly confused.

"Where are you going?" asked Sofia as Sara shoved her kit in the back

"Away form here" replied Sara sharply then realised it wasn't Sofia's fault so continued "get a drink, I need coffee" said Sara

"Well I'll go adjudicate, oh I've got something for you came to the lab not to pry but I read the post mark isn't that where Grissom is?"

Sara gave Sofia her best poker face but broke into a lopsided smile as she took the envelope. Sofia had long suspected the relationship between Sara and Grissom may have moved up a level she was surprised no one else did but it seemed you had to be outside the group to notice "you know he didn't send anyone else a postcard" smiled Sofia as Sara took in her look trying not to grin to much at the letter burning a hole in her hand "tell him I want a postcard and a fridge magnet" smiled Sofia leaving Sara slightly confused as to if Sofia knew she suspected she did but Sofia was to coy to come out with it. Instead Sara set of at a fast walk ripping the letter open as she did.

Dear Sara 

_As you know I'm not one for showing my emotions. I hope my present reached you in one piece I believe it is the cocoon of an emporia butterfly. I'd forgotten how hard teaching could be not all students are as attentive as you. My pig with the maggots and blanket experiment went down well; I may even have created a couple of vegetarians. I have the picture of you up in my office my students seem to think it's amazing someone as good looking as you would go out with me, I know I'm amazed. My attempt to tell them you were a co worker went down like the Titanic apparently no one has a picture of there co worker up only their girlfriend or wife, I'm surprised no one has noticed the one over there. I guess no one's going in there at the minute. I hope everyone's ok and everything is alright. I miss you_

_Love Grissom_

_PS my estate agent called someone wants to vie the town house on Thursday just to let you know so you don't shot them thinking there burglars if you go at all._

Sara didn't realise she was at the coffee she shop she also didn't realise that one tear had escaped. She was so engrossed she didn't notice the tall figure following her down the street and now hunched in the corner of the shop.

Sara lent up against the counter while her coffee was made she was re-reading her letter once again so engrossed she didn't notice the man lean up against the counter next to her, not which it was noticeable but if she had seen his face she would have known. With one quick movement the man dripped something into the coffee just put on the side before the server placed a plastic lid on. He picked up a packet of sugar and his coffee and left quickly.

"Your coffee" the servers voice drifted through to Sara and she grabbed her coffee from the side and shoved her letter in her pocket heading back to see if Sofia had to restrain anyone.

He waited outside watching her take the coffee and walk off down the street. He smiled to himself fiddling with the small bottle in his hand, now all he had to do was be patient he'd been patent watched for so long it wasn't going to be long now. He'd watched the mistakes others made grabbing and killing on the spur leaving evidence everywhere he was smarter than that he knew it couldn't happen immediately that was arouse suspicion this way no one would know that he had control.

TBC ……………………….. if anyone would like to beta this I would be grateful because I'm sure it needs it! Also reviews will be happily received and danced around the room to…..


	2. Chapter 2

A/N thanks to my beta Lisa you should be able to understand this because of her.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED I will reply personally next time promise

**Print dust. Thanks my e-mail wouldn't let me attach this chapter but if your still up for beta reading let know and I'll send you the next one**

"Come on Sara," shouted Catherine looking a little more than pissed as Sara approached the car. Nick was sat in the passenger seat while Sofia was ready to get in the drivers seat.

"What about your car?" asked Sara looking over at it.

"I'll get someone to pick it up I don't want to have to arrest these two for assault if they behaved like adults…"

"Oh it's adult to go behind your friends back" started Nick clearly not realising how childish he was been.

Sofia sighed as they stared up again

"You know if think I preferred the silence," said Sara sipping at her coffee and getting in the back.

Twenty minutes later and they were back at the lab in the break room going over the case. Greg was eating his lunch in the corner trying to shovel as much in his mouth as possible to get away quickly. Sara was sat flicking through photo's trying to ignore her headache.

"There is no way he could have shot her, he was bleeding and there was no trail"

"He could have been stabbed after," countered Nick

"There was already blood in the kitchen"

Both then sat in silence that suddenly seemed worse than the arguing. Greg looked across at Sara who had become rather subdued "so Sara what do you think?" asked Greg

"What?" asked Sara looking up "oh the wife had motive he was having an affair but why kill the brother?" said Sara going back to her photos and rubbing her temples. It was one of those headaches that made you nauseous and Catherine and Nick's constant arguing wasn't helping.

"Nick GE T OVER IT" Catherine's sudden outburst snapped Sara back and almost caused Greg to choke on his coffee

"How? I trust you with my life. Well I did and you do this," shouted Nick

"You don't' know what your talking about you weren't in the position. You know what Nick I'm still you supervisor and your superior so just watch what your saying"

"I don't know what I'm talking about, shut up Catharine" Greg looked up 'had Nick just told her to shut up'

"WHY DON'T YOU BOTH SHUT UP" shouted Sara standing up and regretting shouting she grabbed the photos and stormed out the room "I'm going to the morgue" she flung back as she stormed out the room leaving everyone stunned.

"I think she's got the right idea," said Nick

"Hey" said Greg speaking up and regretting it as two pairs of steely eyes set on him as Warrick walked in

"Whoa what's going on?" he asked having resolved his own issues with Catherine

"So you're Sara's superior what you going to do go tell Keppler, Ecklie?" asked Nick

"Nick" Warrick interrupted "what's going on with Sara she practically ran me down she looked upset"

"It's probably something to do with these two's constant arguing" said Sofia coming in "got the address" she added putting a file down " her job description doesn't include referee to both of you and neither does mine"

"Look" Warrick held his hand up before they started again "Nick I realise your angry we all were but you have to move on" said Warrick "I don't know what's gone on today but to upset Sara it must have been bad, We all have to work together so whatever the issues are work through them," he sighed leaving the room. Catherine looked at Greg and sighed sitting down in her seat, Nick did the same and silence fell over the room again.

Sara was on her way to the morgue her headache worse giving her the strange sensation of been separated from her body as if every movement was separate and distant making her stomach turn.

"Sara" said Al slightly surprised as Sara walked in "I was expecting Catherine" he said taking in her tired and pale appearance.

"Disappointed?" asked Sara

"It's a pleasure as always" said doc stepping up to the table "unlike it was for Mr Smith" he said showing Sara where his scalp was pulled back "45 calibre to the back of…" he trailed off

Sara had gone from pale to grey "Sara are you ok" he put an arm out. Sara tried to gain some composure she saw stuff like this all the time but been nauseous already this was too much she needed to get away. She turned and realised it was a feeble attempted instead she grabbed the sink and retched brining up her breakfast.

"Come on" Al put a hand on her back and led her out the door Sara's face now had a tinge of red with embarrassment "are you ok to drive home"? Asked Al

"Home?" asked Sara wiping her mouth with her sleeve

"Sara I'm a qualified physician and it didn't take one to see you were ill when you walked in, I've known you for seven years in which time I have barely seen you flinch in autopsy"

Sara gave a half smile and nodded "I'm ok" she said but he walked her to her car all the same. To be honest she probably shouldn't have been driving but she was too stubborn to admit it. She couldn't remember the journey home she felt disconnected by the time she got back to her house she was dizzy and having trouble concentrating. What would the neighbours think she'd only just moved here and she was stumbling up the path looking like someone who had drunk too much. She somehow managed to get inside and dropped her keys into the bowl on the side. The room was spinning around her she walked straight into the tank on the side giving Watson, Grissom's tarantula a scare "sorry" mumbled Sara waving to the tarantula as she made her way to the bedroom managing to avoid all the decorating stuff scattered around. Slowly clinging onto the door fame she made her way in but instead of lying down on the bed the ground came up and met her as she lost consciousness. In her state one thing she forgot was to lock the door that made the task of getting inside easier for the tall figure now looming over her.

"Your not good enough for him" said the figure picking up a photo on Sara's bedside table it was of her and Grissom taken on a roller coaster. Grissom looked to be having more fun than Sara, he placed it back down and bent over Sara moving her hair from her face "he doesn't deserve you he told me and he was right" Lurie stood up smiling "he doesn't deserve to live"

TBC …..hope you like. reviews are always welcome. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N thanks to Print Dust my beta who helped this make sense and sound better!**

Catherine, Nick and Greg still sat in a stony silence that had fallen over the room.

"So, difficult case?" asked Greg making an attempt at starting a conversation.

"Yes," replied Catherine coolly before thinking of what Warrick had said, then added "too many suspects. Yours?"

"Not enough." replied Greg as Al Robbins walked into the room.

"This is a long way out for you," said Catherine.

"I thought you might want the autopsy results," he said placing a file down

"I thought Sara was going to the morgue," said Nick looking over at Catherine for conformation. Instead it came from the doctor.

"She did." replied Al "She's gone home." he announced noticing the tension

"What? Why?" asked Catherine, looking around in confusion.

"She's ill. I'm surprised you didn't notice. I've had cadavers that looked healthier"

"Ill? She was ok. Wasn't she?" asked the blonde CSI looking at Nick who shrugged shaking his head. He had been so busy being angry with Catherine he couldn't even remember what Sara was wearing today, let alone if she looked ill. A pang of guilt hit him at the thought that he was so consumed be being hurt by Catherine's betrayal of their friendship that he has neglected to be a friend to Sara when she needed him.

"It's not that often a seasoned CSI is sick in my morgue so its either a very bad decomp or they aren't well." he looked rather disapprovingly at the other people in the room. "I'm surprised you didn't send her home," He said as he turned and walked out.

"Did you notice she was ill?" asked Cath turning to look at Nick

"No, I didn't really notice her at all" he said his guilt mixing into his voice.

"She did look off," said Greg picking his things up and leaving Catherine and Nick alone.

"Urgh" huffed Catherine, raking her fingers through her hair. "Great. We were so busy arguing we didn't realize our friend was sick." she looked angry for a minute but it was only at herself.

"Sorry." mumbled Nick the full weight of his feelings crashing in on him at hearing them spoken by the older female. "I guess Warrick was right. I need to move on and we need to behave like adults"

"Ok." Catherine held her hand out which Nick shook "I'm sure she looked ok this morning. A bit annoyed, but I thought that was just because of us arguing."

"I guess we were so involved we missed it. We're great friends" said Nick in a sarcastic tone

"We'll do this, then go check on her," suggested Catherine holding the autopsy result up.

"I guess that explains why she went off on us. Easy to lose your temper when you don't feel well."

"Hey Warrick" Catherine called out when she saw the CSI walk by the door. "Thanks for the advice." she said smiling.

"Hey, no prob. You two finish throwing your toys out the pram?"

"We're done man so don't push It." warned Nick a big grin stretching across the Texans face." Did Sara look ok to you when she nearly ran you down?"

"She looked upset why?"

"She got sick in the autopsy. She's gone home," explained Catherine.

"Well I didn't get a good look. I guess she was kind of pale, but when isn't Sara pale? Girl never gets out." Answered Warrick pausing as he thought back. "But yah, now that you mention it she was a little paler than normal."

"Thanks." said Nick as Hodges waved Warrick over. "I guess we weren't the only one's who didn't notice."

"It's Sara. If she doesn't want you to know something, you don't"

Lurie tipped the final chair over on the breakfast bar, readjusting it from the photo he held in his hand. Everything had to be just right.

The photo could have been a child's dollhouse but was in fact an exact miniature replica of Sara's apartment. He had worked extra hard on this one; everything needed to be perfect. The furniture was tipped over and some broken just as it was now in the full size version. The only difference was Sara Sidle lay unconscious on the floor amongst the mess. Lurie had ransacked the house messing everything up except the bedroom; the one room he left pristine. He now turned his attention to the sleeping beauty, pulling from his pocket a scalpel and twisting it in his gloved hands. He bent down over Sara moving her right arm with the care of someone who had just found the women unconscious on the floor and wanted to help, not the man who put her there. He lifted her right arm and sliced the dagger across her palm drawing blood. He held her hand in the air and allowed the crimson liquid to drip into a small pool, staining the carpet. He then took a bandage from the pocket of his black overcoat and carefully wrapped her hand with the skill of the trained doctor he was. He didn't have her blood for the miniature so had to use a pigs the only discretion in his set up.

Now came the hard part. His car was parked out front and he needed to get Sara in it without being seen. But before he did anything he needed to restrain her. He knew from watching her how strong and resourceful she was and leaving her untied to come round was a risk not worth taking. He produced one last thing from his pocket, a length of rope. He rolled Sara so she was face down on the carpet and pulled her limp arms behind her, binding them tightly with the rope. He was now letting a sliver of who he truly was show as he roughly pulled the ends tighter to the point of what would have been painful if she was awake. Once he was sure she was tied he tossed her limp form over his shoulder in a fire fighters lift. Approaching the front door he opened it a crack to survey the surroundings. It was lucky for him Sara had moved into a quiet neighbourhood. There was no one around. It was a few feet to his car where he had left the back door open for ease. In one quick movement he marched from the house to the car dropping Sara onto the back seat and throwing a blanket over her. He calmly got into the front and leaned over the back, lifting the blanket slightly and making sure Sara wasn't face down. He didn't want her dying-yet. Now was the part he had planned for meticulously.

He pulled from behind her two loops of black material sewn in-between the upright and horizontal parts of the backseat. He then took two lengths of rope from the floor running each one through a metal loop screwed into the carpet of the car and laid them over Sara. The ropes were then pulled through the material loops embedded in the back seat and tied. One ran just below her neck the other over her knees pinning her down. He pulled them tight so they pulled her clothes taught around her. He wasn't having her wake up and escape. Even through the drugs should keep her unconscious or at least subdued until they reached their first destination.

TBC …………..


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N thanks once again to my beta print dust and to anyone who reviewed.**

Gil Grissom had never been so happy to see the lab. The only thing that could possibly make it better would be seeing Sara. He wasn't supposed to be in until tomorrow but Sara was working tonight and he wanted to see her; that meant coming to the lab. He was becoming increasingly frustrated as he had circled the lab twice now and there was no sign of her anywhere. This probably meant she was out in the field meaning he would have to explain why he was back at work a day early if he came into contact with anyone else from the night shift. He decided to call off the search and go back to his office and worry about whether Sara was angry with him and avoiding him or if she liked his gift.

"Grissom" Catherine's voice stopped him from stepping into his office. She walked up to him grinning and attempted to hug him but he stepped back instead, holding his hand out for a handshake. Cath gave a slight smile and shook it

"Good to have you back." she smiled

"Have you seen Sara?" he asked failing miserably at hiding his excitement at being back.

"She's gone home sick" answered Catherine trying to read his reaction "and I thought you weren't back until tomorrow," she added her eyebrows almost meeting in her inquisitive expression.

"She's ill?" he asked completely ignoring Catherine's question. Concern now etched into his features.

"Apparently, we were…. well pre occupied" said Cath choosing her words carefully.

"Apparently?" he asked sounding slightly angry. Catherine was now looking slightly confused at his reaction. Maybe the air pressure had got to him but in the five minutes he had been back he had showed more emotion than in the past six years and all of it had been over Sara.

"She was sick in an autopsy and went home. We didn't realize. I guess we should have noticed."

"No. She's too damn stubborn to admit it," mumbled Grissom to himself. He then walked into his office and shut the door leaving Catherine standing in the corridor quite miffed. He was dialling Sara on his cell before he even sat down "Sara, it's me. I'm back. I went to lab. I thought you'd be at work. If you're not feeling well I can go back to the town house." The was a pause as Grissom sighed, "I made a mistakeSara. I went away to find something, I don't know what, but it turned out that it wasn't out there for me. You are what I need and you are right here. I hope your ok." he hung up running his hands through his hair it was then he noticed a large brown parcel on his desk. "Catherine," shouted Grissom putting his phone down. The door swung open and an irritated looking Catherine silhouetted in the doorframe angry at having been shut out and now ordered in "when did this come?" he asked opening his draw and taking out a pair of gloves.

"I don't know. I didn't know it had come," answered Catherine looking at it with equal concern and interest as Grissom who had now taken a scalpel from his draw and was gliding it along the tape.

"Do you have a whole field kit in there?" asked Catherine referring to his desk drawer.

"Only the essentials" answered Grissom distractedly making the final cut to reveal the inside of the box.

"Whoa" Catherine's reaction was different to Grissom's, she was somewhere between fascinated at the model house and frightened. Grissom was looking at it like it had just jumped out the box and shouted 'boo' at him. Grissom grabbed his phone with surprisingly calm hands and with no explanation to Catherine dialled.

"Dispatch, Gil Grissom I need a unit to 314 Station Road. Sara Sidle lives there I want them to stay with her until I get there." he explained as Catherine looked at the box again. It was a house minus the roof where the furniture in each room was messed up every one but the bedroom and bathroom.

"This is Sara's apartment?" Asked Catherine. "There's blood," she added looking at the little dots amongst the mess in the main room. There was furniture upturned and partly destroyed but no sign of Sara. On the table was a newspaper that Grissom tweezed out.

"Prints too small" said Catherine as he held it up. Grissom dropped the paper into a bag then swabbed the blood and dotted it on an indicator.

"Not human." said Cath sounding relied as two lines appeared. Grissom then picked the bag up and walked out the room as if the other CSI wasn't even there.

"Gil!" Catherine knew this had just got too personal as she followed Grissom through to Archie

"Gil ring Sara tell her to get out." shouted Catherine coming after him. She of course didn't know he had just rung her mobile and got no reply and knew her phone line was disconnected currently.

"I need you to enhance this, it is the only evidence you have understand?"

"Yes sir," answered Archie taking the bag and deciding this was not the time to question as Grissom swept out the room.

"Gil." Catherine tried again to get through to him as he went back into his office and started staring at the model.

"This is the exact interior," said Grissom finally acknowledging Catherine.

"Looks like she's decorating," observed Cath looking at the dustsheets spread across one room.

"You've been there recently?" asked Catherine but got no answer. To be honest she wouldn't have had a clue this was Sara's house even if she opened it, having never been there.

"Sara left how long ago?" asked Grissom his striking features creased with worry.

"About two hours." answered Catherine realizing Sara should be home by now but she still didn't get why Grissom didn't just call Sara.

"If Sara's house is like this they had to have sent this before he they got in, it's been here a while" mussed Grissom " they are either messing with us or he's matching the full size version to the miniature"

"Which begs the question. Where is Sara and why is there blood?"

"They were watching her for a while, they had to have been. They were waiting for me to come back," said Grissom angrily

"You?" asked Catherine slightly confused, although the box was addressed to him making it personal.

Grissom's phone rang out through the silence

"Gil" came Brass's sharp voice down the receiver; this was an all business call "she's not here. You need to get here, now"

Catherine knew it wasn't good news from Grissom's face; it looked like he had been slapped.

"She's not there," said Grissom the words caught in his throat "they've taken her." he added quietly. With that he swept out his office again leaving Catherine marching along behind him.

Warrick, Nick and Greg were all sat in the break room when Grissom appeared in the doorway.

"Good to have you…." Started Warrick but he was cut off.

"Sara's missing," said Grissom his voice slightly off.

"Missing? She went home ill," said Nick looking at Catherine the grin fading from his face in an instant.

"We've got another miniature. It's Sara's house and she's missing," explained Catherine.

"They've taken her?" asked Greg quietly. No one answered he dare not even entertain the other thought, that they had already killed her.

"Her address is…" now Grissom was cut off

"We know," said Warrick getting up and grabbing his jacket.

"Her new address is 314 Station road" finished Grissom. Some part of him knew he should explain everything. Why he knew all this and the fact he was moving in there. He wasn't ready yet. They had decided together not to tell everyone, mostly his idea but ever since he got back he just wanted to kiss her and to hell with whoever was around, but he felt she should decide to tell everyone even through he knew he was going to have to. They were going to find out this was personal. The box was for him and they had taken the one thing in this world he cared about.

**TBC ………………..**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N thanks to my beta Print dust whose suggestion helped (I changed the carpet colour!) and thank you if you reviewed please keep on doing so.**

Grissom felt like Catherine was driving at five miles an hour. It was a twenty-minute drive to Sara's and it already felt like he'd been in the car an hour when in fact they had only been driving ten minutes. Catherine insisted on driving; practically shoving Grissom from the drivers seat. Warrick, Greg and Nick had gone in another car leaving this one in a stony silence.

"I'm sorry," said Catherine suddenly, confusing her passenger who didn't understand what was she sorry for. "I should have checked your mail for anything important". Grissom didn't answer. He didn't know how. Half of him wanted to blame her but he knew it wasn't her fault.

"Does Keppler know about this?" asked Grissom suddenly.

"About Sara?" asked Catherine her eyebrows dancing around her forehead in confusion.

"The miniature killer." Clarified Grissom

"I think he's seen the models. He doesn't really get on with the team. Neither did I recently." she took a deep breath ready to dive into what had happened "We used reverse forensics. Before you say it- don't. We've been over it too many times.," Said Catherine before Grissom could but in. "I lied to everyone and needless to say they were less than happy. I think I upset Nick the most. We argued and to cut a long story short the most me and Nick have exchanged until today was grunts or shouting matches." She sighed, "We didn't even notice Sara was ill"

Now it was Grissom's turn to sigh. "Sara can be stubborn"

Cath noticed the sadness in his voice when he said Sara's name. "I don't really care about your guilt, whatever the reason Sara's missing and that's what we need to concentrate on" this outburst took Catherine by surprise "it wasn't you job to keep the team together" he added realising he may have gone overboard in his concern about Sara.

"It was my job I was supervisor. You have little if any people skills and you've managed it for the most part. Well you seemed to have developed some skills while you were away. Before now the most I would have gotten was a disappointed look. After what Ecklie did and what happened to Nick I shouldn't have gone behind their backs, I know" she paused adding "but it worked"

"Was the action worth the consequence?" asked Grissom "disappointed look?" he added rubbing his temples trying to fend off the migraine creeping up on him.

"You speak few words with your mouth but volumes with your eyes."

Grissom was quite taken by Catherine's comment. "I shouldn't look that impressed. Sara said it to me a while ago." Grissom looked like his life had just collapsed around him. He could just picture her saying that after he managed to upset her. He just wanted to hold her now. That's all he thought about on the plane back. Just being able to hug her, taste the sweet skin just below her ear, smell her coconut shampoo. Now all he could see was Sara calling for him, frightened and hurt. That vulnerable side she rarely showed, screaming out for him. He realized as they pulled up to her house his face was wet with tears. Wiping them on his sleeve he saw Cath's eye firmly planted on the crime scene tape surrounding the house oblivious to Grissom's pain and show of emotions.

There were two patrol cars outside and two others belonging to the two detectives. Sofia was halfway along the street with two police officers talking to a neighbour.

"It's a nice apartment," commented Greg as the groups met up.

"She liked the bathroom," said Grissom without thinking. Warrick gave Catherine a sideways glace as Grissom continued walking up to Brass. Catherine shrugged her shoulders at Warrick, showing she didn't know what was going on any more than he did.

"I've got officers out looking and I'm circulating her description to the media". said Brass when Grissom approached and nodded. "Here's what we've got," said Brass lifting the tape up as everyone made their way under it. "Apartment's trashed, well the main room, hallway and spare bedroom. The main bedroom and the bathroom are untouched. I cleared the house myself no one else has been inside. Sofia's questioning the neighbours but they were mostly asleep.," said Brass stopping as they got to the door. The sun had come up and now several onlookers were watching the events unfold.

"Grissom I can…" Catherine stopped she wasn't sure exactly what she was saying anyway, but Grissom walked away stepping inside so she couldn't finish her sentence. He held his breath as he went in. The scene in front of him he'd already seen in his office. There, about three feet in front of him was the small pool of blood soaked up in the mid green carpet.

"Exact replica," said Catherine stepping inside followed by the others all hanging behind.

"Grissom isn't this yours?" questioned Greg shining his torch on a terrarium on the side table. There a tarantula lazily sat on a piece of wood. A lamp lay across the top of the tank after having been knocked over.

"I'm moving. Sara's looking after him," said Grissom not turning around to even look at what Greg meant.

"What the hell happened?" sighed Nick looking at a broken stool in front of him.

"It wasn't a fight." said Grissom "Everything is the same position as the miniature, that was made first"

"So Sara didn't put up a fight?"

"More like couldn't," mumbled Nick frustrated, as he had no idea what was happening and still blaming himself for not noticing she was ill. If he had, she wouldn't have been home alone. He would have driven her, stayed even. It was those images that clouded his thoughts, the things he could and should have done differently.

"It's not how I expected her house to look." commented Catherine as Grissom bent down swabbing the blood on the floor. "I mean it looks like it was nice," she said as Warrick gave her a look wondering what she meant.

"Human," shouted Grissom suddenly throwing the indicator at the floor and walking off down the hallway giving the distinct impression he knew his way around.

"Ok." Catherine now took charge, this time she needed to be supervisor and she couldn't afford to get it wrong.

"Warrick take the kitchen. Nick this room," she said pointing in the general direction of the rooms she was delegating. "Greg take the bathroom"

"I thought Brass said it wasn't messed up," said Greg picking hit kit up.

"Doesn't mean they weren't in there. Maybe there is a good reason why they didn't touch it. It means something." explained Cath. Greg nodded and went along the small corridor and seeing the door open made his way into the bathroom. Now Catherine had to go deal with Grissom. He had vanished into the room at the end of the hall. Leaving her kit she made her way to it, cracking the door open a bit before entering. She found him sitting on the bed his gaze downcast. This room had been decorated first. It was a muddle of purple ranging from a rich dark purple on the bed to the lilac on the walls. Grissom sat on the bed facing the door; in his hands he held tightly to a photo frame. He didn't say anything or look up when Catherine sat down on the bed next to him. The frame he held in his hands contained a photo of him and Sara. It was taken on a roller coaster, one of the souvenir's you get after, definitely recent, she recognised the top Sara was wearing. Catherine had brought her it just over a month ago after she accidentally spilt part of a decomp down Sara running her tee shirt. Grissom had one arm wrapped around Sara and was smiling whereas Sara was leaning into him her expression between happiness and fear. Clearly Grissom was enjoying the ride more than his riding partner was.

"Eight months." said Grissom still not looking up. He didn't need to say anything else. Catherine had guessed it earlier but couldn't' ask, he needed to tell her in his own time. "It's my fault. It's me they're trying to get at." he put the photo back down on the bedside table

"It's not your fault," said Catherine placing a hand on his knee "You're moving in?" she ventured her expression soft and caring. Grissom nodded looking up. The usually emotionless eyes had suddenly become deep wells of sadness. No tears were visible but she could tell he was crying, his soul was screaming out through his eyes, it was calling for Sara.

"We're going to find her, we found Nick" said Catherine getting up but an urgent voice interrupted the moment.

"I found something." shouted Greg

**TBC ……….**


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks print dust for betaing

Catherine found herself almost being trampled as Grissom rushed to get to the bathroom where Greg was crouched on the floor. Everything in the bathroom was perfectly set out and just as it had been before Grissom left aside from the odd bottle that had been moved. Everyone was gathered in the doorway when Grissom arrived but they parted allowing him through to reach Greg. He was holding in his hand what resembled a Barbie. The doll was a brunette whose hands and feet were bound with pieces of string, no mistaking whom it was representing.

" I found it in the cupboard, no prints" said Greg his tone almost apologetic.

"Bag it," said Grissom sternly. He wasn't angry with Greg, but at him, that he didn't know who had was doing this.

"Griss" said Nick cautiously. He was eyeing the room, and had noticed there was men's aftershave on the side of the sink and a razor. "I think a guy lives with her," he continued looking at his co-workers surprise evident on his face.

"I haven't moved in yet. I was moving in today," said Grissom taking the bagged doll from Greg and going back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed what had just been said.

"Did you know?" asked Nick looking at Catherine who didn't look fazed by the news.

"For all of the last five minutes" replied Catherine.

"How long?" asked Warrick

"Long enough" answered Catherine giving a look that meant further questioning would have to wait. "Now's not the time. He'll tell us when he's ready" she finished.

"The box was sent to him and they've taken Sara. Cath, you know this is personal." started Nick. Sara was like his sister and he loved her like one, he needed someone to blame for this.

"I know and so does he" interrupted Catherine

"It's killing him," whispered Greg standing up "I'll go back to the lab and go through his recent cases see if anyone's got a grudge" Greg said already picking up his things and heading out of the cramped bathroom.

"Check Sara's as well" Cath shouted at him as he waved his hand on the way out.

"So I guess he did have a girlfriend" said Nick as they went back to processing the house.

Ten minutes later and the meticulous search had turned up nothing.

"Hey Cath, what do you think this is?" asked Warrick photographing the lamp laid across the terrarium.

"I think it's a spider," replied Catherine not getting what he was looking at "and knowing Grissom probably poisonous" she added backing up slightly.

"No this cocoon. It's out of place with everything else in there" said Warrick pointing.

Catherine bent down to get a better look. It _was_ out of place with all the other things.

"A sign maybe"

"A present." said Grissom making the pair jump slightly "I'm going back to the lab to process the doll." he finished, leaving the apartment head low.

"Why go on Sabbatical when you've got a girl like Sara right here?" asked Warrick once Grissom was gone.

"Only Grissom knows that and I don't think he's in any kind of mood for talking," sighed Catherine watching him march down the hallway to the car. "You know the front door wasn't forced so either Sara let them in or they had a key," said Warrick thinking it through.

"Well, if she didn't recognise them, didn't' see them as a threat she may have let them in but I don't buy that some how. Sara's too smart for that."

"Maybe they had a key. You can get one cut in half an hour now before anyone would notice it's gone," suggested Warrick

Half an hour later and they still hadn't found anything. Somehow it felt wrong to Warrick, going through his friend's personal possessions and examining their life, a life that everyone was unaware of until an hour ago. Now he was collecting and analyzing pictures of Grissom and Sara that had been scattered across the floor. 

"Feel's wrong doesn't it." Catherine's voice startled him slightly

"I feel like I'm invading their privacy."

"We are." replied Catherine exhaling loudly. "Nothing. No prints-nothing" she was clearly beginning to get as frustrated as everyone else "lets go back to the lab. Maybe Grissom or Greg found something." she sighed packing up her kit. "I thought something had changed between them. Even suspected maybe they were dating but its Grissom I didn't think he'd risk it," said Warrick surprising Catherine with his awareness of other people.

"Apparently she's worth it, never thought he'd put any thing before the job" replied Catherine helping Warrick pick up the mess of photo's.

"We all knew she was worth it, didn't think he'd ever realize it though" sighed Warrick. "Yes I notice more than you think," he added as Catherine gave him a coy smile.

"Nick were going back to the lab," shouted Warrick through to the hallway where Nick was packing up. "Sure I'll go talk to Sofia see if anyone saw anything" replied Nick looking around the outside hallway again, hoping to have missed something.

"DAMN" he kicked violently at his kit sending it a couple of feet forwards so it landed at the feet of Sofia Curtis who had gradually lost her cool edge and calm exterior, that had been chipped away as she spoke to more and more people who saw nothing.

"What's that ever done to you?" said Sofia her voice sounding anything but cheerful. Nick didn't' reply simply picked his kit up

"Memories?" asked Sofia making Nick stop in his tracks. Those nightmares he got of been trapped again had returned but his time it wasn't him laying screaming, it was Sara and at the moment he wished it was him. He never thought he'd want to be there again but seeing Sara trapped, even in his mind, made him want to swap, for it to be him they were looking for.

"I don't want Sara to go through what I went through," said Nick his voice faltering slightly. 

"We'll find her. We found you" said Sofia, it was meant to be reassuring but somehow it conjured up the image of Sara tapped and in danger.

"I guess I never realized," said Nick as they walked away from Sara'sappartment.

" Realized what?" asked Sofia suddenly looking tired from the fact she was now pulling a double.

"What you all went through."

"I don't think it was much compared to what you went through ." replied Sofia.

"It was" said Nick not looking at her "all the time I was in there I kept thinking what would happen if you didn't find me. I gave up on you after a while. I pictured you all finding my body and all I thought about was me. I never realized what it must have been like for you"

"I can't say ''d be thinking about others in that potion"

"What if we don't find her?" asked Nick getting into the car "What if this time we're too late and we…" he couldn't finish it

"Nick this is Sara. Don't get me wrong, I know you can take care of yourself, but Sara can as well. She's going to be ok. They took her for a reason. If they wanted her dead they would have just killed her" rationalized Sofia meeting back up with Brass. "Don't even ask everyone was asleep," she said as his face became downcast.

"So what have we got?" asked Brass

"A doll and a model" answered Nick angrily "nothing"

TBC …………… please review, I won't bite…. I've eaten already today (please ignore my weird sense of humour and review!)


	7. Chapter 7

Saying they had nothing was not actually the truth but it was very close. So far all the evidence they had managed to collect was the doll and the model that were currently placed side by side on the lit table in the layout room. Sitting silently staring at them was Gil Grissom his fists clenched in anger but his face showing a different story. He had been staring at the two items for nearly five minutes now, a single tear having traced it way down his face and dropped onto the table. He looked from the doll to the miniature of Sara's home, their home. Picking up a pair of tweezers he remembered that Greg said he found the doll in the bathroom cabinet. Carefully he pulled at the door in the miniature that swung gently open revealing an even smaller version of the doll. . He looked it over and placed it next to it's bigger sister, the smaller doll had less hair and looked like it had once been a baby and had hair glued on. Footsteps approaching alerted him to the rest of the team.

"I've got about fifty files to go through and that's just yours. You and Sara are totting up a high conviction rate and pissing a lot of people off," said Greg attempting to make everyone and himself feel better through humour.

"We didn't find anything at the house," sighed Cath as the group gathered around the table. Nick, Warrick and Greg getting a look at the miniature for the first time.

"This is Stacy," said Grissom holding up the doll "she is mass produced and you can buy her anywhere" he said allowing it to drop back down to the table with a thud.

"So we're at square one?" asked Greg eyeing up the detail in the model. No one answered his question.

"Why take her and send this? It has to mean something," said Catherine thinking out loud.

"Grissom" Archie almost ran into the doorframe in his rush to get into the room. News of Sara's disappearance had spread fast and Archie had realised why Grissom had been so focussed.

"I enhanced the print on the newspaper" he was already backing out the door, Grissom inches behind him. The rest of the team followed the pair into the AV lab where a transcript of the newspaper was up on the big screen.

_Sad isn't it, doc. Guys like us, two middle-aged men who've allowed their work to consume their lives. The only time we ever touch other people is when we're wearing our latex gloves. We wake up one day and realise for fifty years we haven't really lived at all. But then all of a sudden… we get a second chance. Somebody young and beautiful shows up. Somebody…we could care about. She offers us a new life with her. But we have a big decision to make, right? Because we have to risk everything we've worked for to have her. I couldn't do it. But you did. You risked it all. And she showed you a wonderful life didn't she? But then she took it away and gave it to somebody else. And you were lost. So you took her life. And now you have nothing._

_I'm still here. Are you?_

"I understand in that it's words, but I don't understand the meaning," said Warrick after reading it through.

"It's like a message the last part in bold, 'I'm still here. Are you?" said Catherine tapping the screen to make her point.

Everyone looked at each other and there gaze fell on Grissom. He looked a brokenas though his entire world had just crashed down at his feet. He recognised it he'd said it. Before he had chance to say anything they were interrupted.

"There's a package for you at reception" said Wendy popping her head round the doorframe.

"We'll take it…" Cath stopped noticing the look on her face.

"It's re: Sara Sidle" she said " currier dropped it off; got it from a PO box." she added "Ecklie says he's got Brass and Sofia on it"

"Grissom" Catherine wasn't sure if he had heard what had been said but as he strode by her she knew he had.

The package was laid on the reception desk with a group of lab techs gathered around it who moved the moment they saw Grissom approaching. Grissom pulled a pair of gloves from a box hidden behind the desk and picked the package up, walking back down the corridor. To any observer it looked like a bizarre conga line with Grissom leading, the rest of the team in a line following his every movement. Grissom sat himself down at a desk, the rest of the team watching but keeping their distance. He took a scalpel and slit the jiffy bag open tipping the contents gently out onto the table then held the bag out for Catherine who slipped on a pair of gloves. She took it sitting down next to him and began to process it.

"DAMN" Grissom's sudden shout stopped Catherine mid swab. He was starring at the contents of the bag with anger. Laid on the table was a large blue butterfly, its delicate wings slightly damaged on one side. "I know who it is," said Grissom his voice conveying his resentment. No one said anything but waited for him to elaborate.

"Lurie" this name didn't click with anyone but Catherine.

"Dr Lurie?" she asked needed confirmation.

"Yes"

"How?" asked Greg "I mean how do you know it's him?" he added sheepishly

"The newspaper. I said that to him, and this butterfly has a connection to Debbie and Sara."

"Debbie?" Nick whispered to Warrick still not having clicked onto the case.

"He was sleeping with her, killed her and dismembered the boyfriend," said Warrick his voice low. Recognition flicked over Nick's face as he got it. Catherine was trying to judge Grissom's mood. She knew how the case had affected him; the resemblance Debbie had with Sara. But why he was targeting Sara and Grissom she couldn't begin to fathom..

"He's got the skill to make the miniatures, being a surgeon. Fine motor skills, good dexterity," said Greg breaking the silence "I've got his file," he added suddenly leaving the room.

"Gil" Catherine placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's mine," he said looking down at the butterfly "it was framed, in the kitchen "Who processed it?" asked Grissom.

"Me" replied Nick "I noticed a broken frame but I didn't know what to think of it."

"It's a message. He wants me to know it's him" Grissom was now staring at the butterfly with such an intensity Catherine was waiting for it to self-combust.

"Maybe he's just getting cocky," suggested Warrick as Greg came back in carrying the Debbie Marlin file.

"I don't get why he's taken Sara," said Nick getting everyone's attention "I mean he got away with it we couldn't pin it on him"

"Temptation, he got away with it once…" said Catherine trying to read over Grissom's shoulder as he flicked through the file.

"The power of getting away with it starts to feel good, it becomes a high and he escalates. He wants to take it one step further and starts leaving the models, taunting us. He's teasing us, trying to show he's more clever." said Catherine thinking it through and explaining for Greg who still looked unclear.

"That explains why he's a serial killer not why he's taken Sara," sighed Warrick.

"Familiarity," said Grissom "he sees me as he saw himself when he was with Debbie. But unlike him no one took Sara away from me," he paused "he didn't like that I may have understood him at the time. Now he sees me as who he was and he's…"

"Jealous" interrupted Catherine " Sara does look like her" she took the file from Grissom and laid it down open at the autopsy photo of Debbie.

"Wow" Greg didn't realise he spoke out loud until Cath's piercing glare reached him.

"So he's not exactly stable, maybe he sees Sara as Debbie" suggested Nick "but why is he jumping up and down to tell us it's him?"

"He wants us to find him but on his terms." said Grissom his anger now having given way to sorrow for Sara and the guilt it was because of him she was in danger.

"On his terms means too late," sighed Catherine.

"He's not worried we might find him?" asked Greg his voice filled with pain.

"He's not," replied Grissom shutting the file "he's made his first mistake, he's underestimated me".

**TBC ……………………………**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N printdust you're wonderful (I'm running out of ways to thank you for been my beta!)

Thanks for the review if I didn't thank you personally I promise I will if you review this time.

To Sara the world was black and humming. She felt as if she was waking up with a hangover until the memory of collapsing came back to her. Her body felt weak and weighty as though someone was pinning her down. Unaware of her predicament she opened her eyes to find light shining in through the weave of the blanket lying over her face. Not having a clue what had happened Sara started to panic as she realized she couldn't move her arms or legs. It took a minute before her rational brain took over and she realized she was no longer in her bedroom. From the sound she assumed she was in a car but the material covering her face made it impossible to tell for sure. The sensation that she was moving stopped suddenly and the humming cut out.

"Awake are we?"

The voice sounded familiar but her dazed mind was struggling to make sense of the situation. The blanket was pulled from her and she recognized the man immediately As Doctor Lurie, the man who had gotten to Grissom so much during the Debbie Marlin case; the man who permitted Sara to hear how Grissom felt about her for the first time. She could now see she was in a car and by lifting her head slightly she found was tied down, her arm and legs bound separately.

"Come on," smiled Lurie getting out; and opening the back door, he leaned over her and untied the restraints on her arms. She made an attempt to hit the doctor but her body wasn't up to it yet and instead made contact with a feeble slap as he untied her legs from the car seat. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and pulled her from the vehicle. Her legs seemed to have lost the ability to hold her weight as she fell to the ground outside; she was still a little dizzy and very confused. The last thing she remembered was going to her bedroom.

"Come on" repeated Lurie supporting her under each arm and dragging Sara away from the car. She tried digging her heals in into the ground but all she succeeded in doing was losing a shoe, which Lurie picked up and tossed back into the car.

"No clues," "he warned dragging her towards what appeared to be a warehouse, the type you rent storage units in. One had the door already open and she was pulled inside. Her body seemed to be catching up and now she was able to put up more of a fight. She banged her legs against the concrete as he dragged her but had nothing to catch onto and even if she did she was still tied up. She was then dropped onto the floor as he locked the door. The room was empty except a video camera set up on a tripod in front of her and the flickering light hanging from the ceiling illumining the space.

" If you are considering making this difficult don't, I have plenty more sedative and will not be shy about giving you another dose." warned Lurie fiddling around in his pocket.

"Why?" asked Sara suddenly, it seemed like a logical question when it popped into her head. She was now sitting upright her bound arms resting on her knees.

"You're a smart lady I thought you might want to work it out for yourself," he smiled bending down in front of her. " Dr. Grissom thinks he's better than me, smarter than me-"

"He is." interrupted Sara her anger getting the better of her. She curled her knees up to her chin; her hair hanging in limp stands draping across her pale face.

"He isn't," continued Lurie "he thinks he knows but he doesn't. You see I'm still here, they may be gone but I'm not. He doesn't deserve you and now he's going to watch you die." he smiled getting up. "I may have nothing but I'm still here which is more than either of you will be"

"What, are you jealous?" asked Sara her voice trembling slightly thinking about him hurting Grissom and what he was going to do to her.

"No. You see Dr Grissom lectured me on things he didn't understand. It was Debbie's fault not mine." He seemed to be wavering from topic and realized this. "He's not as clever as he thinks he is. All those models I sent him and he didn't figure it out, so this time I'm going to make it more simple" he smiled, flicking the switch of the camera on and walking over to Sara. She thought that this was it; he was going to kill her now.

"No" she didn't know why she was screaming The adrenaline had taken over as she attempted to hit him but he simply grabbed her arm and dragged her, throwing her to the floor in front of the camera. The camera was angled down slightly only catching what was happening on the floor. Just as Sara was getting herself up Lurie's fist came ramming down on her face and she fell into blackness once again, blood trickling from her nose. Lurie smiled and flicked the camera off taking out the tape, his hands still gloved to avoid prints. He left the room for a minute re-entering carrying a box. Opening the box he pulled out a doll the same as he left in the house and a paintbrush. He stepped over to Sara and dipped the brush in the blood that had dripped from her nose and wiped it across the doll.

"Sleeping beauty," he whispered taking the tape and doll then dropping them in the box. "I'll be back soon, don't go anywhere." he added leaving and locking the door behind him.

Sara woke up a few minutes after he left. In as much pain and as confused as the last time. Opening her eyes she couldn't see Lurie. Slowly and cautiously she got to her knees. Getting up with both ones hands and feet bound was difficult to say the least. She could taste blood and feel it on her upper lip; her nosebleed was slowing down now. She looked around, the room was completely empty again expect the camera. She tried to get to her feet but lost her balance and fell down on her side connecting painfully with the concrete. Deciding it was better on all fours she slowly edged towards the door, moving her arms first then pulling her knees up to them. It was slow and painful, the concrete tearing her elbows and knees. She was beginning to wish she had worn a long sleeved top rather than the brown t-shirt and slacks she was in.

After what felt like forever she made it to the door; it was unlocked and she banged against it. Nothing not even the slightest budge. This wasn't the only storage bin Sara had seen on the way in, maybe someone else was around, she had already screamed and no one had come but she had to try again.

"HELP," screamed Sara at the top of her lungs hurting her own head. "HELP" she tried again but there wasn't the faintest noise except for a quiet echo. Her head was beginning to spin again with all the effort she had put in getting to the door. She banged against the door one more time in vain. She fell forwards gagging as nausea rushed through her body along with a wave of panic. Grissom was coming home today. Would he think she was angry? Would anyone even know she was gone? Lurie had made it clear he wanted Grissom to know. Looking up after regaining control of her stomach Sara noticed some concrete crumbling on the other side of the floor against the wall. Fighting the nausea and pounding in her head she began to crawl over towards it. It didn't take as long as getting to the door despite the fact her knees and arms were hurting worse than before. The thing that kept her moving was the thought of him hurting Grissom; she had to warn him. Finally making it to her destination she took a second to catch her breath. It was hot and humid in the room, which wasn't helping at all. Kneeling in front of the crumbling concrete she began clawing at it with her hands. It was hard and mutilated her fingers and knuckles. After a few seconds she had to stop; the effort had sent her head and the room spinning. She couldn't stay up right any longer and fell sideways emptying her stomach as she did. She leaned back against the wall, finding it cooling against her skin hot with exertion, she pressed as much of herself against it as possible. After a minute the room stopped moving and the nausea subsided allowing her to move again with out passing out. She kicked her heels in the small hole, managing to break off a small amount of concrete and tear the skin of her left foot that was missing a shoe. After dislodging the concrete Sara found underneath it was just dirt, something she could dig through.

TBC ………… …… …………. 

Press the button, you know you want to……...please… I'll stop rambling….maybe


	9. Chapter 9

"Ok," Catherine was taking charge now. The group had assembled themselves around the large table in the break room. "We need to work out the timing of this. He made the model before he took Sara and sent it shortly after Grissom left. That's some certainty the real thing was going to match."

"Why didn't he just take Sara before I got back?" asked Grissom thinking out loud and breaking Catherine's flow.

"Arouses suspicion too early. She doesn't turn up to work and we start asking questions. Maybe he needed time to get away," suggested Nick.

"He could have taken her before this shift and still had time" said Catherine shooting down Nick's explanation.

"No he couldn't," Greg jumped in. "She pulled a double. I found her asleep in the break room this morning," he explained.

"How did he know she was going to be home?" asked Warrick. "He couldn't have know she was ill," he didn't' have chance to finish.

"Unless he did it." Grissom's voice was tinged with anger "He poisoned her," he almost growled.

"He has the medical knowledge." reasoned Catherine "Something not too harmful. Just enough to get her sent home and make her more vulnerable." Frustration was evident on Catherine's face. She didn't even notice Sara was ill now she'd missed the fact her friend had been poisoned.

"Still, he was confident his model would match the scene," said Warrick.

"He planned it all like that. She was probably unconscious before he went in, that way he could set the scene." said Grissom.

"Conrad." Grissom addressed Ecklie as he looked up to see the balding lab director come strolling into the room.

"Package came from a P.O. box. Money was in there ready for the currier. P.O. box is registered under your name," said Ecklie his tone apologetic not meeting Grissom's gaze. "No I.D required when registering and the man we spoke to didn't recognise the picture of Lurie, but it was registered four months ago."

"He's been planning this for four months," said Warrick in amazement.

"How's the search for him going?" asked Catherine after Grissom remained silent.

"He stopped working at the hospital three months ago but we have an address," he held out a piece of paper which Catherine took.

"Nice area," she commented, "let me guess, he's not home?"

"No, police have searched the house and they've left someone on the door." Ecklie was interrupted by Brass coming into the room.

"Neighbours say 'he's weird,'" said Brass quoting something from his notebook. "Rarely see him, loner type." Brass finished. "Sofia's still questioning them," he added as Hodges ran into the room.

"You've got another box," he said breathlessly as Mandy came in carrying a brown box. She looked as if she was leading a funeral march as she placed the package down on the table. It was only a bit bigger than a shoebox.

"Is the currier still here?" demanded Ecklie. Mandy nodded in response "I'm on it." said Ecklie leaving and ushering Hodges and Mandy back out the door.

The team stood starring at the box until Grissom took out a pair of gloves and slid his hands into them with a snap. Slowly he took a scalpel and cut along the tapelines at the top of the box. It was addressed to the night shift Re: Sara Sidle. The room was completely silent as the box was opened. Inside was a doll, an exact replicate of the one at Sara's house only this had a red substance smeared across its face.

"Indicator." said Grissom his voice stern. Nick obliged and handed him a swab and luminol.

"Blood." said Catherine as Grissom tested the swab and it turned a vivid pink.

"Brass would you?" he asked holding the swab out. Brass kept quite and took the swab out the room to DNA. The doll now lay on the table. Grissom reached inside the box and removed a tape.

"Camcorder." said Greg looking at it. Grissom didn't reply but walked by the group towards the AV lab. Brass joined the group as they piled into the small room nearly forcing Archie out the door. As Grissom inserted the tape everyone held their breath. All eyes were glued on the screen in front as it fizzed grey then flickered into a picture. All that was visible was a concrete floor and the hint of the wall inching up behind it.

"No." Sara's shouting rang out through the silent room. Catherine's hand instantly shot to her mouth while Grissom's curled into a fist. The voice had an edge to it, and edge of panic no one was used to. Sara then fell into the picture. Her hair was hanging over her face as she landed hard on the floor. Grissom's breath caught in his throat as her face turned upwards. Her skin was white and glistening with tears and sweat. Her hair hung limp in front of her eyes. As she tuned to get up a gloved hand shot into view and connected with her face. Catherine gasped out loud a blood splattered across the floor and Sara fell motionless. The picture stayed there for nearly ten seconds. The side of her face turned towards the camera, blood slowly dripping from her nose, her hair now splayed out behind her like sleeping beauty.

"Bastard." Nick slammed his fists down onto the table in front of him as the picture fizzed into grey again. Catherine's body shook slightly as she fought back the tears that were building in her eyes. Warrick placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as some tears escaped rolling silently down her cheeks. It was taking all of Nick's resolve not to hit something other than the table. He considered that this is what everyone had gone through when watching him. Feelings of helplessness threatening to overwhelm and incapacitate him.

"Gil." Greg rarely called him by his first name. Grissom turned slowly tears had traced a path down both of his cheeks.

"We're going to his house," he said simply.

"Archie, anything distinctive about the tape, type, make? Anything you can get from the picture." Catherine instructed Archie while wiping at the few tears that had escaped. Grissom marched from the room; he couldn't bear to stay there any longer. He had touched Sara, his Sara. He had spent so long just out of her reach and now to be able to touch her made his world spin. Lurie wasn't going to touch her again; if Grissom got his hands on him he wouldn't be able to touch anything ever again. Grissom never realized he could feel so strongly about; care so much and hate with such fury.

"Grissom." Catherine caught up with him as the rest of the group followed slightly behind.

"This is my fault. It's me he wants to hurt," said Grissom his voice flat almost defeated in tone.

"It's his fault, Gil. You know it's him who is doing this." Catherine put an arm around his shoulder and for once he didn't shy away from the compassion but leaned into it.

"I want to hurt him, I want to hurt him like he's hurt her. More than that I want to hold her, I want to tell her everything I meant in the letter. I to be able to tell her I love her again." the last part was so quiet Catherine could barely hear it.

"We'll find her and we'll find him." she spat the last part with venom.

**TBC ……………. Please review I'll do my happy dance if you do!**

**Thanks print dust for the beta**


	10. Chapter 10

Pulling up to Lurie's house it was just as Catherine had imagined it. The large townhouse and looked immaculately kept from the outside. The front lawn was mowed and the wooden fence newly painted. A car was parked in the driveway in front of the garage.

"Place is OCD heaven," announced Sofia walking up to the group. "Everything in it's place; looks like its been sterilized even."

"He is a surgeon. Got a thing about cleanliness maybe," suggested Warrick who was hanging just behind Grissom, waiting for the supervisor to make the first move.

The group assembled themselves on the threshold of the Doctors home. Looking inside it was just as Sofia had described-minimalist didn't cover it. The walls were white and most of the shelves were glass. It was one large open concept room on the bottom floor. A kitchen took its place on the right hand side, a small study in the far right corner, a table and chairs in the far left and a sofa and TV on the left nearest the door.

"Warrick, Nick, Greg take down stairs," said Grissom stepping inside. "Catherine and I will take upstairs."

Upstairs was similar in décor to the downstairs. Two bedrooms and a bathroom, all immaculately clean.

"He's certainly organized," commented Catherine standing in the hallway upstairs looking into the master bedroom where Grissom stood. "Not to sound to defeated but what are we looking for?" She asked walking to where Grissom was examining the inside of Lurie's wardrobe.

"Something," replied Grissom. "We'll know when we find it."

"Guys!" Nick's urgent voice sounded throughout the silent house. "We've found something." Catherine would have found his wording of 'finding something' funny if it weren't for the severity of the situation. Grissom and Catherine made there was down stairs to where everyone was gathered around Brass and Greg who were bent down looking at the floor.

"I saw scratches on the perfect wooden floor." said Greg knocking on the floor. As they got closer they could see what everyone was looking at. A trap door was partially hidden under the sofa.

"Well at least he didn't go for the rug cliché," Warrick commented as Brass drew his gun.

Grissom nodded at Brass and moved behind him. Catherine took her place next to him drawing her own gun. Warrick pulled the handle lifting the large wooden door. Dropping below them into an illuminated darkness was a set of concrete steps. Brass was the first to descend them slowly, followed by the CSI's. They ended in a large empty room that disappointed Grissom. Somewhere inside had been a fraction of hope that Sara would be down there, but the rational part of him knew she wasn't.

"Clear," called Brass his voice trailing off as he took in the room. There was table laid out in front of him with what appeared to be bits of rubbish. Surrounding drawers had bits of wood and craft tools hanging out. What had caught everyone's attention though were the photos and newspaper cuttings tacked tithe walls. Covering every surface in the tiny room.

Grissom was the first person to step forward and confirm what they were all looking at; the room was covered in photos of him and Sara.

"Oh my god," Catherine's hand shot involuntary to her mouth. The still images looked like they had been taken by paparazzi. The one Grissom was staring at was of Sara out jogging.

"He's been watching us for months," said Grissom turning to face the others. "I shrunk that top in the wash about three months ago," he explained to the astounded room.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Sara's digging was becoming more frantic. She had no idea if Lurie had left her for good to die or if and when he was coming back. She had lost the shoe on her right foot now and her heals had started bleeding as she used them to dislodge the soil. Her fingers were grazed and covered in dirt yet she had only made an indent about three centimetres. By no stretch of the imagination could she crawl out through there. Her clothes where sticking to her with sweat the heat in the enclosed space becoming almost unbearable. There was a noise behind Sara and she threw herself back against the wall trying to cover the hole as the door swung open. A cool breeze momentarily swept over her until the door was slammed shut again.

"What are you doing?" Lurie asked a hint of laughter in his voice as he approached her.

Thinking quickly Sara answered breathlessly, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Don't mind me," laughed Lurie now standing in front of her. Sara didn't reply but fixed her best glare on him. It was then that Lurie noticed that Sara had been sick. He took his coat off and tossed over the vomit. Bending down his face now directly in front of Sara's his eyes blank he reached out and moved a stray piece of hair from her forehead. Sara jolted back as his touch flashed images through her mind.

Three weeks earlier- Grissom's town house 

"Sara, you have to keep the thermometer in you mouth or it doesn't work," Grissom's voice was frustrated. He was sitting on the edge of the bed looking disapprovingly at Sara as she removed the thermometer from her mouth for the third time. She was slouched on the bed with the covers displaced around her looking less than well. She was in one of Grissom's tee shirts making her slim frame stand out.

"Sara you have a fever," sighed Grissom taking the thermometer and holding it up. "Ff you would keep this in I could prove it." his look had now turned to concern.

"I'm ok," replied Sara her voice croaky and hoarse.

"Sara, your forehead back and neck are covered in sweat, you are trembling and you're whiter than a sheet."

"Thanks for the imagery," replied Sara with a half smile leaning back against the pillows piled up behind her. "It's just a cold."

"Oh right," replied Grissom unconvinced. "I slept next to you, remember? It was like sleeping with a boiler."

"It's lucky for you I'm not easily offended," said Sara before breaking into a hacking cough that winded her.

"Here," Grissom held out a glass of water from the bedside table.. "Now I've heard your boss is a understanding guy so I'm sure he would give you the day off." he added smiling.

"What am I supposed to do here all day?" asked Sara taking a tissue and wiping at her nose that currently resembled Rudolph's.

"Rest." answered Grissom.

"I'll get bored," moaned Sara coughing again.

"You know, I feel like I may be coming down with something myself," said Grissom leaning towards her. "And it wouldn't be fair to go in and give my germs to everyone," he leaned in further receiving a wide grin from Sara. "So I will have to stay here and rest with you," he smiled leaning all the way in, moving stray bits of hair from her face. He placed his palm against her forehead them moved it down to her cheek before placing his lips to hers, kissing her.

Present day 

Sara shot back so fast she hit the wall with a thud. Anger flashed in Lurie's eyes.

"Get away," spat Sara her voice shaking.

"Is that what you said to him?" asked Lurie standing up. "Is that why he went away and left you?"

Sara froze, how did he know that?

"You deserve better than him."

"I need him," said Sara softly tears stinging at her eyes. "We've got a while before we need to move so it's just us for bit," he bent down in front of her again until he was eyelevel. "What could we do to fill that time?"

"I need the bathroom" Sara said her voice portraying a strength she didn't feel.

"You're not bothering me," replied Lurie. They sat in silence for nearly a minute. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?" he asked getting up and pacing the room. Sara didn't reply, she wanted too, she really wanted too, but she held her tongue. "I let you out of my sight and I wont see you again."

"I'm tied up," pointed out Sara moving her arms.

"That didn't stop you trying to dig out now did it?" he stopped dead in front of Sara. "You think I can't see what's in front of me? Your feet are bleeding." he bent down so he was just inches away form her.

Sara swallowed hard and nodded. "And if you still need the bathroom I don't like the guy who rents the unit next door, you can go in there but you won't be alone." Sara kept quiet. "Thought you might say that," he smiled. "I'm the smart one, I'm the one controlling all this, remember that." he sat down on the floor in front of her. "You remind me of her." he smiled leaning forwards trying to touch Sara's cheek but she backed off.

"Who?" asked Sara deciding that keeping him talking was better than letting him do anything else.

"Debbie." he reply reaching towards her but stopping just in front of her face. "I bet you're just like her-a tease." He pulled his hand back anger flashing across his face. "Give men something, then take it away." He smiled at her she took her gaze away from him down to the blood congealing on hr fingers. "You're strong and independent like she was." He paused.

"You don't know me," said Sara her voice low.

"Oh I do. I've been watching you. I watched you go to that theme park. I know you didn't want to go but you went because of HIM." he shouted the last word. "You wore a red t-shirt and brown trousers." He leaned forward. "It showed of your shape nicely."

TBC ………………… please review they make me happy : ), I'm easily amused!


	11. Chapter 11

Two months earlier.

"I cannot believe you talked me into this," complained Sara as Grissom dragged her into the entrance of the theme park.

"I'm sharing something I enjoy with you," smiled Grissom.

"More like you heard Greg talking about them increasing sexual euphoria" muttered Sara.

"Sara Sidle I resent that," Grissom grinned holding her hand as they walked amongst the mass of teenagers. "It's day time and we could get arrested for that sort of thing."

"Oh, so you would if you could," beamed Sara but Grissom didn't reply.

"You know I don't like the idea of going on a roller coaster I processed after it derailed into one hundred and one parts" pouted the brunette as her lover pulled her into the line for 'Ferro's Fever'.

"That was nothing to do with maintenance" said Grissom. "Warrick went on a coaster with me," he added.

"You took Warrick before you took me? I hope it wasn't at night," smiled Sara as they moved up the line. "Have you noticed we're the oldest people here?" she added looking around.

"I prefer more mature," answered Grissom as they reached the front of the queue.

"You will be fine. I promise," said Grissom assured her letting her step into the car first.

"I'll remind you of that when you're washing my vomit off your shirt," warned Sara as the bar came down over their knees.

"Physics. It would be the people behind needing a wash," said Grissom with a slight smile.

"Hey I think that's Lindsey," said Sara pointing as the ride started.

"Where?" asked Grissom suddenly panicked looking around.

"You're right, this is fun," She grinned cheekily.

Grissom enjoyed the ride much more than his riding partner who spent most of it clinging onto his arm and the metal bar. They now stood at a kiosk looking at the on ride photos.

"There," Grissom pointed to number six on the screen.

"Oh, god," blurted Sara as she buried her head in Grissom's shoulder. On the photo she was clinging onto Grissom's arm, her eyes wide in fright.

"I like it," smiled Grissom "I think I'll get it."

"Don't you dare," warned Sara

"I'll frame it and keep it on my bedside table," grinned Grissom. "Number six," he said handing over three dollars.

"I can't believe you," Sara groaned trying to grab the picture from him.

"You dared me," replied Grissom grabbing her arm and pulling her into a hug.

Lurie sat at a table amongst hordes of teenagers watching them act like a couple of hormonal sixteen year-olds.

Present 

"You followed us?" asked Sara her voice shaking slightly.

"Yes," replied Lurie standing. "You know, I think it's time for my next message," he went over to large black bag he had put down on his way back in. From the bag he pulled out a small Perspex's box filled with water followed by an identical doll to the one he painted earlier. There was something in the water that Sara couldn't make out.

"Now your smart so I'm sure you can work it out," smiled Lurie removing the lid and dropping the doll in the water. The realization that Lurie was not going to be won over with logic hit Sara as the doll representing her broke the waters surface and for that moment it was her who was drowning.

"Back soon." Lurie picked his bag up and left locking the door as he went.

Sara looked over to the small progress she had made in her escape plan and she considered digging again but her hands and feet were still stinging from the last time. Instead she reached around into her back pocket taking a moment to inspect the crusted blood on her fingers. . It pulled at her shoulders as the rope around her wrists constricted her movement. Eventually she managed to pull out the letter she had placed in there earlier and read it. As she did tears rolled down her face and dripped off her chin soaking the paper. Blood from her fingers blurred the ink and stained the edges of the paper. All she wanted to do was to hold him and tell him it didn't matter, nothing mattered as long as she was with him. But she wasn't. She might never see him again and the feeble goodbye when he went on sabbatical might have been their last chance.. She couldn't let that be it. She shoved the letter back into her pocket creasing and tearing it as she did. Not caring about the pain already coursing through her hand, she crawled back over to where she had made a hole in the wall . She was digging so frantically she didn't hear the door open again.

"Bitch!" Lurie stormed across the room towards her grabbing her shoulder roughly he pulled her back. Sara saw his hand flash in front of her face and she bit it.

"Argh," Lurie snapped his hand away letting Sara roll backwards. She was just sitting back up as his fist connected with her jaw sending her sprawling sideways, dazed but still conscious. Lurie grabbed something out of the bag across his shoulder moving towards Sara. The next thing Sara knew a hand was clamped across her mouth and the sweet taste of chloroform filled her senses. She fought against it for as long a she could before blackness over took her.

"Stubborn," smiled Lurie as Sara went limp in his arms. "Just like her." Lurie picked her up carrying her effortlessly out to the car. This time though he dumped her in the trunk.

Catherine could hardly believe what she was seeing; Grissom and Sara's lives for the past couple of months were laid out in front of her. Garbage and receipts laid out on tables, notes of habits, where they ate, everything was on show. The photos were getting more intrusive and taken closer.

"It wasn't just at home he was watching," said Nick pulling a photo from the wall and holding it up. It was taken at a crime scene from a distance. Brass, Catherine and Grissom were in it.

"This is beyond creepy," commented Greg holding up a letter and passing it to Catherine. It was a letter asking Grissom to go teach at Williams College.

"There's some thing missing," said Warrick from where he was processing another table with boxes stored beneath it. "What do you mean?" asked Catherine walking over. The table had a large lamp lighting it and the boxes and drawers contained tools used for model making and spare bits of material.

"From what I can see a knife from this box," Warrick opened a box of scalpels, "and a couple of others bits."

"Either he didn't put them back or he's using them," said Catherine exhaling. "He's making another model," she almost whispered.

Footsteps were heard descending the stairs and Grissom reappeared after vanishing five minutes ago. No one went after him when he exited and no one said a word, it didn't need to be said. The evidence of his life with Sara was laid as open and raw as his emotions. The anger and sorrow that swam in the depths of his being now clung onto to the surface threatening to overflow and consume him if he gave them half the chance. It was one minute after he left that room that all the barriers surrounding him fell and his soul screamed out for it's partner crying for it companion that was calling back in pain. Tears fell like rivers winding down his cheeks, his breath was fast and tight as his chest constricted from crying. Without Sara there was no oxygen for him to breath, without her his soul would cry continually. He knew that now and although he may never tell her even if he got the chance she would see it. Because as he sat in the backyard Gil Grissom became an open book. 

TBC ……………..


	12. Chapter 12

"He knows everything about our lives, he knows us." stated Grissom speaking to Catherine. Warrick carried on looking for other missing items, trying his best to invade as little of Grissom's privacy as possible. But with the older man's entire life literally laid out in front of him in pictures and souvenirs there was little chance of success.

"I've got something," Sofia descended the stairs so fast she looked to have jumped most of them. "He rented a car." She was waving a file around.

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Brass who had been watching Nick work. "He's got no other cars and no rental cars in his name." Brass said sceptically.

"Figured he used a false name so I sent some uniforms out with pictures. An employee recognised him," Sofia explained triumphantly.

"Have you got the make?" asked Warrick taking the file.

"Got a call out on it." Answered Sofia nodding.

"I'll go to the traffic centre, see if I can track it." Warrick volunteered already halfway up the stairs. It was then that the shrill sound of Grissom's phone broke through the room. Silence hushed over the room as he answered it. His face fell when he held it to his ear saying not a single word as he hung up. "The blood on the doll is Sara's."

Sara woke with a pounding head and general ache all over her body. But for some reason she was relaxed. The sun warmed her skin, and she could hear water lapping against the shore and for one moment everything was okay. Then the day rushed back to her and her brown eyes shot open. The sunlight that had warmed her stung her eyes and pierced her senses.

"I thought you'd sleep the day away." Lurie gazed down on her. She found herself laying on the sand by lake Mead, her hands and feet were bound with tape that stung her grazes and pulled her skin taught.

"I'm not gagged," said Sara not meaning to say it out loud.

"There's no one around," smiled Lurie. "That's why I picked here." Sara struggled to sit up.

"There might be someone. A dog walker," she suggested as Lurie took her arm and pulled her so she was sitting up, her legs outstretched on the sand facing him. He was leaning against a tree on the edge of the sand his legs bent in front of him his arms resting on his knees. Sara was nearly a foot away from him in the sand but he had no worries about her escaping. Even if she moved she wasn't going far with her feet bound so tight.

"Nice and quiet here," smiled Lurie his inflection suggested he was having a perfectly normal conversation. Not talking to a woman that he had held hostage.

"Scream all you like," muttered Sara shifting around the sand stinging the cuts and grazes on her feet.

"You can scream but I wouldn't bother." Lurie shrugged casually getting up. "I didn't want to get carried away and do this to soon." he walked over to her taking a piece of clothe from his pocket. "If you died to soon I wouldn't see the look on your faces. His knowing he was just too late and yours knowing what I'm going to do." with that he bent down and gabbed Sara's hair. She screamed as he shoved the cloth in her mouth pulling it tight around her head and tying it. The material tasted fowl as it cut into the side of her mouth and pulled at her hair.

"Just in case of a dog walker," he smiled evilly sitting down next to her and putting an arm around her. She closed her eyes in inwardly screamed. She called for Grissom, for him to come and rescue her, her body and soul ached for him. The letter felt as if it was burning into her, it words been branded into her skin for everyone to see. She loved him, she always had, no matter what he did or how much she kidded herself she loved him. Her mind raced to picture him but couldn't settle on one image, it kept distorting into him sitting on a cold seat in a church somewhere. His shell and defences back up with no chance of ever been broken down again. She didn't realise his defences were so broken they would never come back up, just like her. Their souls reaching out through the blackness for each other, needing each other because without each other they became shells, sacks of flesh blindly falling from one minute to the next until the minutes were gone and nothing was left. On the inside she screamed for Grissom, for her soul mate.

Grissom cursed as his phone rang again. "Grissom." he answered sternly.

"Griss it's Warrick. No go on the car. Lost it after about five minutes. No way of telling where it's going."

"Can you see anything?" asked Grissom impatiently.

"Already on it. I'm with Archie now, got an enhanced image. Traffic camera's not very good but you can make out a shape on the back seat. Archie's working on it," said Warrick before Grissom hung up.

"No luck on the car?" asked Catherine noticing the despair spread across Grissom features.

"They're working on getting an image. They still don't have a location though," answered Grissom massaging his temples. As he did his phone rang again. Before he could answer it Catherine took it from him and flipped it open..

This time it was Catherine's face that fell. A white hue spread across her features as if someone was painting it making her skin translucent.

"There's another package," said Catherine her voice failing her at the end. Grissom didn't say a word but started up the steps.

"What's in it?" asked Greg sheepishly.

"They haven't opened it. It was under a false name, different currier firm. Ecklie's working on it."

The drive back to the lab seemed to last forever even with Catherine flooring it most of the way. Grissom's usually calm exterior had long failed him and fatigue and worry were now creased into his face as he walked the halls of the lab. He found Ecklie standing outside the layout room almost guarding the box as the group approached him.

"I didn't know about it until now," said Warrick coming from the other direction. "Got an image," he added holding up a photo. From it you could see a blanket laid over a distantly human shape on the back seat. Grissom barely acknowledged the photo as he was focussed on the brown parcel displayed on the table in front. Ecklie left the group, which was ignoring him anyway. They were all staring in horror at the small box.

**TBC ………… not as long I know next one will be longer**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N ****ok so this isn't that long but things are getting going now**

With gloved hands he could barely control from shaking Grissom carefully began opening the box. As he moved it the box it sloshed. . The brown paper around it peeled away to reveal a small Perspex box filled with water. The thing that caught in everyone's throats was the doll submerged in it. Hands and feet bound, mouth gagged and unmistakeably dead. Grissom was staring at it completely lost.

"It's not too late," Catherine's voice broke the silence. "He's sent models before the crime," she added explaining herself.

"What's that?" Greg was bent down in front of the box pointing. "There's something else besides the doll in there."

Grissom immediately snapped back, angry that he lost focus; valuable seconds lost that could cost him Sara.

"Get a bucket," he instructed the group. Warrick obliged and brought one over. Grissom took a chisel and began working at the lid as quickly as he dared without compromising any evidence. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity the lid was detached and the contents splashed into the bucket. There, floating on the surface was something green. Tweezers ready Grissom picked out the tiny green object, it looked to be a plant of some sort. Nick immediately snapped a photo.

"Maybe it got caught while he was making it?" suggested Warrick as Grissom began to process the plant. At only an inch long it had small leaves shooting off either side, more shrubbery than anything that would flower.

"No," replied Grissom now completely immersed. "He's too careful for that. This was meant to be there."

The results seemed to be taking forever. The light on the printer was flashing steadily as the group gathered around it hands ready to pounce for the piece of paper. Books were laid out on the table as many on plants that Grissom could find; Greg had a laptop open ready to search anything.

"Salvinia rotundifolia," announced Grissom pulling the paper before it had even finished printing.

"What?" asked Catherine not having a clue what Grissom had just said but he was already over at the table flicking through books as Greg began to type.

"Macrophytes," continued Grissom. "Aquatic plant usually found in shallow lakes."

"And in shallower area's of lake mead," said Greg turning the laptop around "Preservation site; It's got all the plants listed there and where you can find them," he said clicking on an icon so a map came up.

"That's four area's and they're not close together.," said Warrick looking at the red highlighted area's.

"No, but those two are party spots. Not exactly somewhere you can take someone against their will and not be seen," said Catherine pointing out two.

"And that one's often used for boating; plants get ripped up by the rudders. See how it's only got a low concentration," said Warrick pointing to the smaller red area.

"Great that leaves one," said Catherine flipping her phone out but somehow Grissom didn't seem as happy.

"He put it there. He wants us to go there."

"Maybe he didn't think we'd figure it out," said Greg hopefully.

"No, he wants us to go there because she's…" Grissom couldn't finish his sentence. The words stuck in his throat choking him.

"She's not," said Catherine forcefully while handing her phone to Warrick who relayed information.

"Come on," Catherine gave Grissom the quick shove he needed and he kicked into action cursing that he had lost valuable seconds.

Sara sat squinting at the hot sun now scorching down on her. Her hands laid tentatively on her lap the blood now congealed and sticky and cracking with each small movement, the same on her feet. The gag restricted her intake of oxygen and she found herself constantly breathless. She didn't know how she was holding herself upright anymore. The energy had drained from her body and the throbbing in her limbs was pulsating through her, muscles tired and begging for rest, her arms screamed to be let back in there normal position but the rope scratching at the scabs on her wrists held them back.

"You're tired," Lurie's voice grounded her, pulling her gaze away from the blinding light that had been filling her senses and she focused on his face. He was still propped up against the tree sitting comfortably, arms and legs out-stretched.

"Here," he leaned forward and she didn't have the energy to move away. Instead she let his hands trace along her checks feeling for the gag, he loosened it moving it away from her nose allowing precious millilitres of more oxygen in. "Don't want you depriving yourself of oxygen and passing out yet," he smiled leaning back.

"I imagine he'll have my message by now. They'll be busying themselves trying to work it out. Shouldn't be to long," he smiled with no indication that he was going to move. "He's going to be like me soon," he whispered leaning forward so Sara could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he whispered in her ear. "Just like me he's going to have the one thing he loves taken away so he'll have nothing." He leaned back reaching behind him. "But he wont be like me for long. He wont be alive long enough," Lurie pulled the gun up onto his lap. " How does it feel knowing he's going to watch you die then he'll join you in the ground?" Lurie stood up towering over Sara. She wanted to do something, fight, but every ounce of her strength was gone. Instead hot tears ran down her face and her body shook with sobs silenced by the gag.

TBC ………………… 

**Hey the plants a real thing I looked stuff up! First time for everything : )**


	14. Chapter 14

Warrick was flooring it and for once Grissom wasn't complaining. Instead he was willing the car to go faster. Patrol cars sirens screeched around them as they approached the far end of Lake Mead. The cars jerked to a halt and everyone jumped out, Brass barking orders at the offices, while Grissom raced towards the steps descending the steep cliff to the beach. The steps wound down through trees with a flimsy wooden handrail at one side. Only hikers and bird watchers used this area so it was over grown and un-maintained. Frantic eyes searched for any sign of movement but trees blocked the view. As they descended further Warrick and Nick began moving carefully away from the path out onto the slopes searching for any trace of Sara.

"Well it's a little earlier than I planned, I'm impressed," said Lurie suddenly getting to his feet. With what little strength she had left Sara protested as she was pulled upward by her bound hands. The doctor began dragging her across the sand that provided nothing for Sara to grip onto .He was pulling her toward a small wooden jetty protruding out into the water. Even when they reached the jetty she still had nothing to hold. He dragged her further out then when he was almost as the end he pulled the gag from her mouth. Sara was silent. She wasn't about to shout now, not now that she knew Grissom was here and Lurie had the gun.

"Play nicely," smiled Lurie pushing Sara over the side.

A scream pierced the air as Grissom's foot hit the sand. He stopped so suddenly the party behind him nearly piled up onto the sand. The scream came from off to the side, an alcove cut into the cliff face where the sand met grass muddling together on the edge of thick trees.

"Sara!" shouted Grissom setting of in a run. Rounding the corner there was nothing. Catherine stopped behind Grissom panting trying to catch her breath. Nick was the first to see the bubbles breaking at the surface of the lake, ripples cascading outwards just away from the jetty. And the image of the doll submerged flashed across everyone's mind.

Sara struggled hysterically with the rope binding her hands and legs, trying to use them to kick for the surface but she was sinking deeper each second. The pressure of the water crushing her, hurting her ears trying to force it's way in. Her chest burned as she ran out of air the only think she could do was take in the water surrounding her.

Before Catherine could say anything Grissom was running down the jetty followed by Nick neither hesitating to jump into the water when they reached the end of the wooden platform. Warrick had only just reached them having been directing the officers and paramedic's over. For a second everything was still, no ripples or movement then bubbles and waves.

The water was cold and hit Grissom like a slap in the face. It was murky and stung his eyes as he searched for Sara. He was aware something else had come in the water but didn't know what. Then he saw hair as it floated in front of him. Reaching out he grabbed the pale arm and began kicking madly for the surface but the body he towed with him was a dead weight, pulling him down .It was then the other thing in the water was revealed as Nick. He swam by him grabbing Sara's other arm and pulling her so her face was shown, eyes closed, hair floating out around her silhouetting her face.

Nick's head was first to break the surface followed by Grissom's and Sara's. Her head hung limply against Grissom's shoulder as they pulled her towards the jetty. Catherine, Warrick and Greg ran to the side and pulled Nick out. They then pulled Sara from the water her body seemed heavy as she emerged. Catherine smoothed the hair back from Sara's face and felt her neck for a pulse. The water had washed the dried blood away leaving open wounds visible on her lip and where her hands and feet were bound strewn awkwardly across her lifeless body.

"Nothing," said Catherine panicking as Brass began shouting the medic's who were still descending the steps.

By now Grissom had pulled himself up onto the jetty panting he pushed Warrick aside and tilted Sara's head back. He leaned over her to begin CPR. He was just about to start compressions when her head moved and her eye's shot open. Choking Sara turned her head to the side coughing up the fowl tasting water. The sunlight was like a lightning bolt to her brain. Noise and light filled her senses and told her she was still alive, as did the pain coursing through her but one thing stood out above all else: the blurred figure of Gil Grissom.

"Oh god," Catherine was crying and shouting for the medic. Bruises were already showing through her porcelain white skin around her mouth and eye.

Sara looked to her side her chest burning and found herself being pulled into Grissom's lap. He was kneeling on the jetty, Sara's head cradled in his arms as she coughed and sputtered. She wanted nothing more than to just lay in his arm but she knew this wasn't meant to happen. She was meant to dead and so was Grissom, she needed to tell him, warn him.

"Here," Warrick pulled knife from his pocket and slit through the ropes fastening Sara's hand and feet. Sara was desperately trying to talk but every time she did she found herself choking. She looked into Grissom's eye's pleading for him to know, to understand but they looked as tired and desperate as her own. She tried to sit up but Nick's wet arm forced her back down, it was then she realized both Nick and Grissom were soaking wet.

"No," croaked Sara coughing violently again.

"Sara calm down," said Catherine cupping her face in her hands. "It's okay now. We've got you. Hold her down she might hurt herself more," she tried reassuring the younger women. Sara fought again but Grissom's arms held her from moving. She was leaning her head into his shoulder looking out through the sea of people, one stood out. Behind the tree's she saw Lurie gun aimed. There was a bang followed by a splash as Grissom fell back in the water he had just dragged himself from. Blood splatter struck Catherine's side and cheek, Greg's face and Nick's trousers. By now every officer had their gun out, Sofia and Brass shouting orders. It was Sofia who saw him though the trees and one shot was all it took to take him down, not lethal, just a graze to the leg. Three officers' immediately went over and pinned him down. Brass turned his focus to the CSI's. Catherine and Greg were sitting in shock each covered in blood. Warrick and Nick were on their knees at the edge of the jetty frantically moving around.

Grissom's head broke the water's surface for a second time that day. And there in front of him lay Sara, blood flowing from where the bullet had pierced her abdomen, where he should have been if she hadn't pushed him in.

TBC …………………. Did you see that coming? Well did you?! 


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N thanks for all the review they've encouraged me lots.**

To Sara, being in pain had become a normal state and it didn't' seem to register until her lungs began to burn like they did when she was drowning. Breathing became torture and her body began to submit to the cold spreading though it.

"Sara," Grissom's voice was weak as Greg took his hand and pulled him out of the water to find the medic's working on the woman. Grissom could do nothing but watch as her blood soaked through the gauze, dripping from the jetty to the lake tinting it misty red around the wooden structure.

Brass had pulled Lurie from the tree's dragging the injured man across the sand.

"What about my leg?"

"It's less than you deserve," replied Sofia grabbing him roughly by his shirt collar and dragging him to a police car.

"Griss," Sara's voice was week as her trembling bloody hand searched the air for him. . Grissom seized her hand in his own. It was cold and slippery in his grasp.

"Sara, stay awake. Please stay awake," begged Grissom tears mixing with the lake water on his face.

"I love you too," she croaked. Warrick pulled Catherine up by the shoulders away from where they were working as she turned to sob into his chest. For a moment it had all been fine; they had found Sara and she was okay. Now they were watching her die. Brass had given Nick his coat draped over his shoulders while Greg ran with an officer to get a stretcher for Sara.

Sara pulled her hand out of Grissom and reached awkwardly behind her. Pain raged through her as she did but it didn't matter any more. It was nothing compared to the pain she had felt when she thought about losing Grissom, about him dying. She pulled the torn and soaked piece of paper from her back pocket. The ink was smeared into barely legible smudges across the page but it was still there. Those words although faded and distressed were still there.

"You got my message," said Grissom with the biggest smile he could muster, although it was the smallest smile she had ever seen and he grabbed her hand back, her fingers squeezing his briefly before going weak.

"Were losing a pulse. We need to move her now," shouted one of the medic's.

"Here," Greg shouted breathlessly carrying the front end of the stretcher. Sara's hand was ripped from Grissom's and in seconds she was strapped onto the gurney.

"Were going to need help getting her up the steps." There were no shortage of volunteers as Nick, Warrick Greg and Brass grabbed onto a bit of stretcher. Catherine held Grissom back. He was in no state to help no matter how much he wanted to.

Despite Sara's small frame she was still heavy and with every step she seemed to gain in weight. Warrick and Nick rotated with two police offices that stood a couple of steps up taking the front end and carrying her closer to the top. Greg was the only one who kept hold all the way his death grip not faltering or weakening once. She had done so much for him as a friend, a colleague and a mentor when he moved from the lab to the field and he wasn't going to let her down. Not when she needed him most. When his foot hit the ground at the top he could barely catch his breath, his lungs felt like they we bout to burst out his chest. His white knuckled grip on the stretcher slacked and Sara was pulled away from him.

"Pulse is week B.Ps dropping," shouted a medic attaching wires to her. The blood was still dripping from the gurney. It left a crimson trail from the jetty where she had been shot, up the steps and now finished by the ambulance. Greg collapsed to his knees gulping the air into his lungs, hot tears burned against his skin cold from the wind but glowing red form exertion.

Grissom had followed the group dragging himself up the stairs in a daze, watching as each step she was taken further from him. At the top he longed to go hold her but a hand on his arm stopped him. The hand of Jim Brass held him from throwing himself at her. Instead he stood in a sea of flashing lights, uniforms, and friends all alone and cried. The only thing he could do now was let the emotions he had spent so long keeping pent up fall freely down his face as he watched Sara been taken from him for the second time. Beside him Warrick Brown was holding the shaking form of Catherine Willows as she sobbed into his shoulder. Nick stood away from the group. Out of the corner of his eye he could see someone bent down dressing the wound on Lurie's leg. He was fine; the man who caused this was fine while his friend had been bleed to death in front of him. Nick stared over when Sofia stepped in front of him putting a palm against his chest. She was pushed back as Nick continued walking.

"Nick no," she said sternly. "He isn't worth it." She tried but Nick was still pushing her back.

"You do this now and you'll join him in jail. Do you think that will help Sara? You think that's what she wants?" Nick stopped. "Sara needs you to be there for her now. Not storming off for vengeance, getting yourself arrested." Sofia pointed to where Sara was been loaded in. "They need you and Grissom needs you. He needs you to be the strong one now."

Nick stopped and wiped at the tears on his face before turning around.

"I'll drive," he said throwing the door to the car open. Sofia was right, now it was his turn to be the strong one. All the years he'd watched Grissom help him, rescue him and support him and now he needed Nick to do that for him. Now he needed him and Nick wasn't going to let him down.

Jim had to physically get Grissom in the front seat of the car because his body seemed to have disconnected from his brain. Catherine and Greg got in the back with Warrick between them and they set of following the parade of sirens.

As Catherine pulled away from Warrick she noticed a red stain on his shirt where she had been. It was then she looked down to see her originally tan top covered in blood splatter. She felt the blood drying on her cheek and neck, cracking with each movement. Bile Rose in her throat and she gagged struggling to keep it down.

"Oh god." Catherine was pulling at her top; she couldn't sit covered in her friend's blood.

"Cath," Warrick grabbed her arms.

"No, I can't keep it on," Catherine pleaded pulling the bloodied fabric away form her.

"Hang on," he reached behind him and pulled a clean black tee shirt that Catherine kept in the back encase of a messy scene. The men on the back seat stared out the window as Catherine changed her top and then forced the bloody one into Warrick's hands.

"I felt it. Her blood. It was warm," Catherine began wiping at her face.

"Here," Greg handed her a wet tissue. While sitting in the back he had silently cleaned his arms that were sprayed with Sara's blood. He sat and watched as it soaked into the tissue. It was something he saw everyday, but until then he had never truly understood that blood was so precious. He thought about the amount Sara had lost and how must he had seen at a scene. How much one can loose before it's too much.

"Thanks," said Catherine her voice a whisper as Warrick took it from her and gently wiped the blood away. She closed her eyes; she couldn't watch it, her friends blood been wiped from her face. She couldn't think about it anymore or she'd start crying again and this time she wasn't sure of she could stop.

Grissom sat in the passenger seat, his eyes never moving from the ambulance and patrol car in front of them. Sara was in there fighting for her life and once again he was useless.

TBC ………….


	16. Chapter 16

Despite Nick's suddenly haphazard and fast approach to driving they were still losing ground on the ambulance. The patrol car in front was having trouble keeping up with it through the busy traffic and Nick with no lights was getting caught up. Having to stop in an almost stationary line of traffic Nick slammed his hand down on the steering wheel watching as the ambulance rounded a corner and out of their sight.

Arriving at the hospital Nick flung the car into a no parking zone behind the Tahoe Sofia and Brass were already disembarking from.

They made their way through the haze of people in the ER to the reception pushing their way past a slightly irate queue. Brass flashed his badge at the receptionist getting her full attention.

"You're here for the CSI they just brought in?" asked the blonde pointing to a nurse. "Lisa will take you through." The group walked over to the other women who led them through a maze of corridors stopping in one when they met a doctor.

"This is Dr Martins," the nurse said leaving them.

"How is she?" asked Greg looking around for Sara.

"She's in Trauma one being worked on at the minute," he said casting a glance over his shoulder to a set of double doors at the end of the corridor. "The bullet nicked a major artery and we're having trouble keeping up with the blood loss."

"Can we see her?" asked Catherine speaking for Grissom who was staring so intently at the doors anyone would think laser beams were about to shoot out his eyes.

"You can wait in the family room until we stabilize her," said the doctor trying to usher them away.

"I want to be with her," Grissom spoke for the first time since they'd got in the car.

"Once we've stabilized her she'll be going straight to surgery. Non-family members aren't allowed-"

"I'm her boyfriend," said Grissom interrupting. The doctor took a second to process the information and decided in his mind to let Grissom see her when the double doors burst open and a shocking sight was brought before the group.

"Stable rhythm were moving her now," shouted one of the nurses. A gurney was wheeled out with all sorts of machines and drips at the side beeping erratically. And there lying in the middle of all the wires and the crimson soaked into the white sheets was the pale, fragile form of Sara Sidle. Her eyes closed a tube going down her throat breathing for her. A surgeon was at the side of the bed calling orders at the nurses.

"This is the boyfriend," shouted Dr Martins pointing to Grissom.

"Come," said the surgeon not taking his eyes off the drip he was piercing with a needle. Catherine had to give Grissom a small push to start his feet working but once they did they broke into a short run until his hands hit the cold metal of the gurney as he was squashed into an elevator amongst the doctors nurse and machines. His eyes focused on Sara laying so venerably just inches away from him and he couldn't touch her. Despite his whole mind crying out to touch her, to connect he was held back by the whirr of activity around him, preventing him from reaching her.

The group was left watching helplessly as the elevator doors shut and the corridor fell silent.

"The family rooms this way," said a nurse gently touching Catherine on the shoulder and pointing to a door. The group wondered trance like into the room. It was quite large and cheerfully decorated, magazines were laid out on table and children's toys scattered in a corner. "As soon as we get any news we'll inform you," said the nurse shutting the door and leaving them in silence.

Grissom felt a pair of hands on his shoulders pulling him away from Sara.

"You'll have to wait in here, someone will bring you some dry clothes," said a male nurse with sympathetic eyes. "We'll come and get you as soon as we're done." With that the door was shut. Grissom found himself standing alone in small room. It contained two chairs and a clock on the wall. Sitting down on autopilot he stared at the time, eight thirty two. His body felt drained and he didn't realize how tired he was until he sat down. He wasn't cold despite the water soaked through his clothes and clinging onto his skin like a suffocating fog. All it did was remind him of what had happened and what Sara had done for him. She had saved his life and he had barely even told her what she meant to him. He knew what he meant to her, she had showed him. The door suddenly opened and a man stood there holding out a pile of neatly folded clothes.

"These are from the blonde women downstairs. You can get changed in here," he said handing them over and leaving. They were Grissom's spare set he kept in the car. He stared at the clock again, the second hand moved so slowly that time seemed frozen, It was all he had left it seemed, time to think about what happened, how it could have been different. How he could and should have done things so differently.

**26****th**** September 2006**

"We're going to live here," said Sara for the seventh time that day. She was sitting on her sofa in the house she had only bought three months ago with Gil Grissom beside her.

"Yes," replied Grissom not sure if it was a rhetorical statement.

"Have you ever lived with anyone before? Besides your family?" asked Sara.

"No," answered Grissom. "I've been told I don't snore," he added getting a slight smile.

"I know. I told you," Sara beamed "But it's a big adjustment. You've lived by yourself for years."

"A change is as good as a rest," said Grissom.

"No. Not the cryptic statements. Just tell me how you feel." Sara insisted.

**Present**

That was the first time she said that to him. And it hadn't been the last. Grissom looked at the clock. The second hand seemed to be glued in place. Frozen around the hour mark.

February 2007 

"No. No cryptic statements, just tell me how you feel." Sara's eyes were brimming with tears her voice barely stable as she stood in their kitchen. Grissom was standing opposite her looking anything but emotional.

"Sara, I don't know what to say."

"How about why you're leaving?" shouted Sara. "Because I sure as hell don't understand." Tears were now falling down her checks. He reached out but she backed away.

"No. You don't get to do that Gil, you can't just tell me your leaving me then expect me to understand."

"It's only for a month."

"I don't care if it's for an hour, for forever Gil. I don't understand why." Sara turned from him and walked away. She couldn't do this. She couldn't cope. It was better when he just said no. When he didn't let her close. But to let her in then push her away was too much. Too cruel.

"Sara…" Grissom began following her into the bedroom.

"Just go then," she shouted not turning to look at him from where she was sitting on the bed.

Grissom didn't know what to do. "Sara," he stopped and took a breath. "I'm not leaving you."

"What are you doing then? Because that's what to feels like from where I'm standing," she turned to him. It took his breath away. He'd never seen her like this; he'd seen her upset before, but not like this. Her eye's looked so full of pain, pain he was causing.

"Sara, I need to do this," said Grissom his voice poignant.

"Why?" asked Sara the anger now gone from her voice.

"I need to work out where I belong."

"With me," whispered Sara. "Gil I can't do this. I can't have you then loose you. I'm not strong enough to do this."

"You're not losing me, Sara. I don't want to lose you. That's not why I'm going. I've worked here so long I've forgotten why I'm doing it." He stopped and took Sara's hand before she pulled way from him again. "I've taught you all things but now my team's at a point where I'm not sure if I'm needed."

"I need you."

"And I need you. They asked me to teach for a while and I think it will help me. Sara, so much has changed in my life so quickly. I just need some time to adjust."

"That's all I needed," said Sara wiping at her tears. "All I needed was to know. Why couldn't you have just said that at the start?"

"I guess you're one of the things I still need to figure out," he smiled pulling her into a hug. "Although the chances of ever understanding Sara Sidle are slim."

"Hey, you're not exactly a open book yourself," came Sara's muffled response.

Present.

The group downstairs had been sitting in silence for nearly and hour now. Only brief words were exchanged about Grissom and Sara before tears started falling and everyone just sat stoic. So when the door opened everyone jumped slightly.

"Grissom," Catherine stood up looking at the older man. His eyes and face were red, showing both the pain and fatigue of the previous events but there was something else in his eyes; there was a sadness and despair that weren't there before. "Gil what's happened?"

TBC oh how cruel am I?…very… mwa haha 


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N this chapter is for Robyn my brilliant beta and for everyone who has taken the time to review- thank you**

"Gil," Catherine said his name again softly trying to gain a response.

"They've just taken her to recovery…. she's going to be okay," his voice was shaky and on the verge of breaking but the words found there way out. Catherine's hand shot to her mouth and tears of joy sprang to her eyes. Nick and Warrick stood in disbelief staring at the older man while Greg had just thrown his arms around a slightly shocked Brass. They had all been preparing themselves for so long for the worst news that they hadn't thought of what they would do should the best happen. "They said we can wait in the family room upstairs," said Grissom, his voice now returned after getting out the information. He didn't believe until he heard those words from his own mouth that she was actually going to be okay. Even when he'd seen her wheeled out with so many machines hooked up to her he didn't believe it but somehow after saying it he did. He allowed himself too.

"Are you coming up?" asked a nurse in green scrubs entering the room.

"Yes." Catherine gave Nick a quick shove out the doorway and the group filed out except Grissom who hung back .

"Jim." Brass tuned around. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," replied Brass.

"Cath, I need to do something too. They said she would still be asleep for a couple of hours. I'll be back before…"

"Do what you need to," interrupted the blonde. She wondered if maybe he couldn't deal with being stuck in a room waiting again with everyone staring at him. She wasn't sure she could either but taking Jim with him leg her to believe it was something he needed to do for Sara. She didn't know what but the look in his eyes told her he needed to do it.

Grissom needed Brass to drive he was too distracted to get to his destination on his own..

"So where we going?" asked Brass as the pair walked down the hallway toward the car.

"I'll direct you," answered Grissom. Brass gave a slight shrug but got behind the wheel all the same.

After twenty minutes of being directed by his passenger Brass pulled up on one of the quieter roads in Vegas. They were in a residential area away from the tourist traps.

"Why are we here?" asked Brass as Grissom got out of the car.

"That's why," answered Grissom turning and pointing across the street to a small jewellers shop. Brass followed Grissom into the shop where an assistant greeted them.

"Didn't think you'd be back so soon," smiled the older lady at Grissom.

"Come here a lot?" asked Brass under his breath.

"I've still got the ring," she smiled and Grissom nodded. Brass watched as the lady reached under the display case. Peering over Brass saw she was reaching under a large tray of engagement rings, all with large diamonds ranging from expensive to what Brass would class as ridicules. She pulled out a tray of white gold rings.

"I believe this was the one," she smiled picking up a ring and handing it to Grissom for inspection.

"Yes it was," he replied holding it in his palm. It was a small band with a simple diamond set in the middle.

"Beautiful and understated just like Sara," said Grissom as he noticed Brass looking over his shoulder.

"I didn't know you had such poetry that didn't refer to murder," said Brass as Grissom gave him a half scowl and handed the ring back to he assistant.

"You're a very lucky man," said the petite women popping the ring into the box.

"Don't you mean she's a lucky woman?" asked Brass.

"No. If he'd had the courage to buy it the first time I would have but after talking, you're a lucky man," she smiled at Grissom who nodded.

"I am," replied Grissom handing his card over while Brass pretended not to see the price.

A twenty-minute journey back and they were once again pacing the corridors of desert palm hospital. Grissom had been allowed to go sit with Sara while Brass had joined the group in the waiting room managing at least five minutes before blurting out where they had been. Grissom was sat in a large plastic coated chair in the high dependency unit. Lying on a bed next to him was Sara. Her pale skin matching the white of the sheets but the bruise on her chin and her split lip standing out. He could no longer see where the bullet had hit her for the blankets laid over her. A steady beeping and the steady pumping of the ventilator reminded him she was alive. She looked so fragile and small in the bed with a tube going down her throat breathing for her and wires and IV's attached to her body. The beeping began to increase in frequency and Grissom looked around panicked but a nurse came over holding her hand up.

"Looks like she's waking up," she smiled and Grissom noticed Sara's eyes beginning to twitch.

"Sara, honey, it's okay. You're okay," he said stroking her forehead. As he did her eyes pried themselves open with a look of fear.

"Honey, it's okay," Grissom reassured. "You're in the hospital," eh said as she began to panic at the tube going down her throat.

"Sara, we're going to take that out in a minute. Okay?" said the nurse as a doctor came over. Grissom was moved out he way as they worked but he held onto her hand avoiding getting her IV line tangled in the stand as he had earlier. A few seconds later Sara coughed violently as the tube was pulled from her throat and Grissom was next to her again. She fell back against the pillows the nurse had propped up panting and coughing as she was given a sip of water.

"You're okay," croaked Sara wheezing as she did.

"I am," smiled Grissom smoothing her hair down. "And you are too. That's what's important."

"Getting shot…hurts," Sara rasped putting a hand over her side.

"The surgery went well but you're going to be sore for a while. But there is no long term damage." explained Grissom.

"Everyone's waiting outside to see you," said the nurse pointing to the window where five faces where currently squashed between some blinds. Sara gave a slight smile at the image in front of her. The gap in the blinds was no more than half a meter squared but somehow everyone had their face pressed up against it with Greg's squashed in the middle.

"One minute," said Grissom to the nurse then turned to Sara. The nurse went outside and the faces disappeared.

"Sara, I know this may not be as impressive as throwing myself in front of a bullet but I hope it shows you how important you are to me and that I would do it for you too," he pulled out his pocket the small ring box and cracked it open.

Using all her energy Sara gave a half smile and reached out to his arm gripping it then squeezing it.

"Sara, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I love you and the thought of losing you …I'm not ready to say goodbye yet,"Grissom said fighting tears.

Sara's smile cracked. "I wasn't going anywhere. I didn't have time to say goodbye." 

She stroked his arm as tears glistened in her eyes. Grissom slipped the ring onto her finger avoiding the pulse ox on the one next to it. There was a moment of silence where they just stared at each other until Sara broke it.

"Why did you send me a cocoon?"

"It seemed to have symbolism when I found. Now it's just a stick." Answered Grissom with a smile.

"Are you wearing the ring?" Catherine's voice broke through as the group piled in.

"Couldn't hold them off any longer?" smiled the nurse as Grissom moved back and the group gathered around the bed.

"That was in no way awkward," smiled Greg.

"How you doing girl?" asked Warrick.

"I'm fine," smiled Sara.

"Oh, I can't wait for the wedding!" Catherine exclaimed. "I get to wear a new outfit. I didn't for warrick's wedding," she said casting look at Warrick.

"You can wear one to my divorce," Warrick he offered. Catherine looked apologetic but Warrick smiled. "I knew it was coming and to be honest, I'm glad," he said as Catherine patted his arm sympathetically.

"You know, he avoided the expensive rings," said Brass suddenly getting hit in the arm by Catherine.

"I think when you get out a celebration is order," Greg smirked.

"Lurie?" asked Sara out of the blue.

"Rotting in jail," replied Nick. "Congratulations," he added proudly, giving Sara's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Of course, you upset her in any way and I will hunt you down," Nick threatened light heartedly looking at Grissom.

"You know, of course eventually she'll realize it's me she loves and we'll run away together," added Greg playfully.

"I've just been shot. You could at least give me an hour before you start making fun," said Sara.

"Yes wait until they're married because I've already chosen my outfit. I don't want you scaring them off," warned Catherine.

"Thanks. I think," smiled Sara as Grissom leaned in and kissed her to various noises of clapping cheering and one loud 'yuck' from Greg.

**THE END**


End file.
